Labeil, a remarkable cave in perpetual evolution between Lodévois and Larzac

Gilles Sagnes, who is gradually handing over to his son Fabien, has no shortage of ideas. A.M.

Gilles et Fabien ne manquent pas d'idée pour faire vivre le site, dans le hameau, au pied du Cirque de Labeil. Midi Libre – ALAIN MENDEZ

Le site naturel perché à 700 mètres d'altitude qui accueille 20 000 visiteurs par an a rouvert à la mi-mars.

Since mid-March, the Labeil cave has reopened its doors and is beginning to welcome its first visitors. The natural cavity, which rises to an altitude of 700 meters between Lodévois and Larzac, welcomes nearly 20,000 people each year, a stone's throw from the new climbing spot created on the dolomite cliffs of the cirque which dominates.

A living cavity

"The opening very early in the season allows us to break in, to get set up. We then close after the All Saints' Day holidays, indicates Gilles Sagnes who operates the site as a family with his wife Mylène, his son Fabien and his partner Maelys. "And thanks to satellite, the telephone works! We no longer have a landline, we are still waiting for the fiber which should arrive but we can be reached, insists the owner. "We have just had two complicated yearswhere it was very difficult to reach us and for us to operate our bank card terminal". Problems that Gilles Sagnes, aged 61, hopes are behind him to be able to devote himself to his activity and the transmission of the operation to Fabien.

The underground river which runs 900 meters through the cave. Free Midi – ALAIN MENDEZ

"I am in the process of handing over to him little by little for the upkeep, maintenance and operation of a cavity in which we find traces of human presence since 7,000 years". This is evidenced by the ossuaries and other pottery in the middle of remarkable concretions and a river, which makes the particularity of a living cave which also served, more recently, as a cellar. ;rsquo;refining Roquefort before now welcoming bottles of wine.

"A project that is close to my heart that I am carrying out in partnership with several Hérault cellars", adds the Lodévois who also sees the several hundred runners of the Terrasses du Lodévois trail cross its cavity from one side to the other each year in the spring. "This is another initiative that we had with the Spiridon Club Nature du Lodévois, which has had babies there too since".

An electricity production project

Gilles Sagnes would finally like to realize another idea that he has been thinking about for around ten years already: "The cave is crossed by a constant underground river and I studied the possibility of installing turbines there to produce electricity to make it autonomous and eco-touristic."

Before that, the site is looking for seasonal workers to provide guided tours or help in the restaurant. "For several years, it’s been difficult to find. We are looking for three people on full-time basis in July-August and part-time outside summer. The call is made.

The cave is open every day. Contact: 07 72 17 01 56. Information on the site: www.grotte-de-labeil.com/ I subscribe to read more